Hawai'i is fortunate to have many community leaders who work tirelessly to make these Islands a better place.

They give their time, their talent and their money in a variety of causes, and many do it quietly, taking their reward in giving back to the community rather than in accolades.

One of Hawai'i's community leaders, Robert Midkiff, has just been honored with a national award, the Fred Rogers Leadership Award in Philanthropy for Children, Youth and Families for 2007.

The Fred Rogers award is given by Grantmakers for Children, Youth and Families, which noted that Rogers — better known to children around the world as Mister Rogers — was given more than 40 honorary degrees, yet found his greatest reward in the faces of the children whose lives he touched.

The award came with a $5,000 donation to a charity of Midkiff's choice, which was Good Beginnings Alliance.

All of Hawai'i should be grateful to Midkiff for his many other endeavors in the Islands — he helped create the nonprofit Hawai'i Community Foundation, and is former president of the Atherton Family Foundation where he championed early education and other charitable causes.

Midkiff was also an early champion of profit-sharing and lobbied the Hawaii Business Roundtable for a child-care center for employees.

We too often take these community leaders for granted when we should be acknowledging them for the many ways they work to improve this place we call home.